Summary

Chapter Objectives

To understand the five stages of the listening process and learn strategies for improving listening skills, the many functions of listening, the advantages and disadvantages of different listening styles, and ways to avoid common forms of incompetent listening.

Listening: A Five-Step Process

Listening is a complex process that involves receiving, attending to, understanding, responding to, and recalling sounds and visual images during interpersonal encounters.

The Five Functions of Listening

Understanding Listening Styles

Listening styles are habitual patterns of listening behaviors that reflect attitudes, beliefs, and predispositions about the listening process.

Preventing Incompetent Listening

There are five different types of incompetent listening: